Thinking of upgrading to SCN pups. Thoughts?

[solsurfr]

Hey Fellas,

I have a 2001 Deluxe Strat with vintage noiseless pickups. I'm pretty satisified with it but sometimes I feel those pups lack the bite, I'm looking for. For the clean stuff, it's great and almost too noiseless but for the heavier stuff, I feel I have to push it hard to get the tone I'm looking for. I heard some good things about the new sumarian cobalt's and was wondering what you guys thought of them? Do you think it is worth upgrading to them? And what do you think the cost should be approximately? Do the pots have to be switched out too? Sorry, I have no idea of guitar electronics so I'm hoping to pick your brains a little.

Thanks!

[Tele-Bob]

The Kinman Woodstocks I have in my Strat are almost piano-like on the clean stuff, and they handle gain incledibly well too.

[onetubetone]

Ditto on the Kinmans... I went from Vintage Noiseless to Kinman '62s, and what an improvement! My strat actually has "that" sound now! Yeeeah.

[Dwell]

Kinmans are the best. And they're noiseless, too.

[jokerjkny]

yup, kinmans RAWK hizzouse.

if you want a darker strat tone, the AVN Blues are great.

want a brighter, chimier, yet meatier sound? the Woodstocks.

want a brighter, ballsier, but more rounded & clucky kinda strat sound, try the high output Hank Marvins.

i've got a set of the Blues in a '56 relic ash/maple strat, and they're pitch perfect. balances the overly bright inherent tone.

i've also got a set of high output marvins in a rosewood/alder strat, and they're unreal.

[curtisstetka]

I'll jump in here with praise for the Kinmans as well. I've got a set in my Tele and they handle it all beautifully! Clean to nasty

[Dangerine49]

I've got two sets of Kinmans (Classic and Traditionals) in two of my Strats and they are quite excellent.

Haven't heard the SCN's from Fender but initial word seems to be very positive. However, AFAIK Fender will not be selling these as a separate upgrade in the near future, so you would have to buy them used on eBay or whatever until then.

[Buck Cannon]

Hi,
I tried the SCN's at NAMM and I even heard Bill L. play them onstage last week,
I feel there A tiny bit "spike-ie" and little dull,
but better then the Original Noiseless.
*None the less its an improvment and will undoubtly make "some guys" out there very happy.
I'm too much of a purist to be impressed myself.

This was a treat......I heard designer Bill L. play his for a full set of blues.
he's GREAT!! but I have to say a few high notes SPIKED my ears hard ( probably from the extra Strong magnets... then they seemed flat-dull ,softened( probally from added metal to dealy the magnets)
..So they're not as close to that so called "Fender single coil tone" as the press releases stated. IMHO.
BTW.. Bills playing is so cool!!! go see him if you ever get the chance!!

[solsurfr]

Hi,
I tried the SCN's at NAMM and I even heard Bill L. play them onstage last week,
I feel there A tiny bit "spike-ie" and little dull,
but better then the Original Noiseless.
*None the less its an improvment and will undoubtly make "some guys" out there very happy.
I'm too much of a purist to be impressed myself.

This was a treat......I heard designer Bill L. play his for a full set of blues.
he's GREAT!! but I have to say a few high notes SPIKED my ears hard ( probably from the extra Strong magnets... then they seemed flat-dull ,softened( probally from added metal to dealy the magnets)
..So they're not as close to that so called "Fender single coil tone" as the press releases stated. IMHO.
BTW.. Bills playing is so cool!!! go see him if you ever get the chance!!

Interesting. I feel the same way about the vintage noiseless pups in my strat now. I also found out that they'll be hard to come by aftermarket so eBay may be the only way to get a hold of these. Oh well, no rush really. I was just curious. The GAS is getting to me.... :-)

[jokerjkny]

as great as these new Fender SCN's sound (hmm, suspiciously similar to a Kinman product name, no? :p), my Kinman AVN Blues are the fattest yet sweetest strat pups i've used to date. this from a former Lindy user (either too brite VH's, or too congested sounding BluesSP), SeymourD antiquities (too pushy, and dull) & Alnico II Pro (nice set, but again rather dull).

also, the Kinman's noiseless aspect are just icing on the cake, compared the body of sweet tone they give. they're an amazing set of pickups for both live, due to the great noise rejection of some horribly wired clubs here in NYC, or for recording, which i do alot in front of my computer monitor, which used to make my other single coils go ape$%iT.

if anything, pretty obvious that Kinman was on to something, in being able to make an incredible sounding pickup, yet not lose the all important tone. guess Fender finally sniffed a winner in the R&D race.

[Buck Cannon]

("and I even heard Bill L. play them onstage last week,
I feel there A tiny bit "spike-ie" and little dull,")

Just saw Bill tonight, And looks like Bill saw this post too, and the first thing he mentioned to me was the pups in his guitar are not SCN's.

Sorry Bill~
nice playing once again!
Enjoyed it!
ST

[Chaseinthesound]

I have 2 electric guitars and both have Kinman's in em.

Woodstocks in one Hank Marvins in the other.

They are the best noiseless pups by a fair margin.

[Tele-Bob]

I have two guitars withn Kinman AVn69s in them and I'm now building a single p'up (neck position) Strat with an AVn62 as the sole p'up on the guiitar. Tone report will follow in a couple weeks.

[itbepopples]

the SCN's are great. i just bought an american deluxe strat that has them and im blown away. very bright...in a good cutting thru kinda way but if u turn the tone down its strat heaven on a clean channel.

[staavie]

Hi.
I read alot about fender and kinman p.u, but can someone tell me the difference with the V60-LP from suhr? Thanx.

Staavie.